Self-service kiosks to ease Hong Kong passport replacements from next week
- Immigration bosses unveil booths where applicants can fill in their details, take a photo and pay for new papers in one go
- Waiting times to be cut to five days before collection
About 7.8 million Hong Kong passport holders will from next Tuesday be able to apply for replacements at photo booths doubling as self-service kiosks, picking up their new papers five days later.
Chan Tin-chee, the department’s assistant director, who oversees personal documentation, said 28 self-service kiosks would be installed at Immigration Tower in Wan Chai and six other offices across the city, offering a one-stop passport service.
Applicants taller than 1.25 metres can fill in their details, take a photo and pay the application fee at the machine in one go, Chan said, adding that the whole process would only take a few minutes. The document will be available for collection from a manned counter after five days.
“The camera adopts an international standard. The machine immediately checks the photo taken and will indicate if a photo is unacceptable, for example if the applicants close their eyes, open their mouth, fail to centre their face, or have a flash reflection on their glasses,” Chan said.
The camera would take three pictures, to let the applicant pick the best one. If they are not happy with any of the options, they will have six more attempts.
Chan added that applicants could still hand in their own passport photo if they preferred not to take one at the machine.
The application will cost HK$370 (US$47) for a 32-page passport and HK$460 for a 48-page one.
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Besides the self-service kiosks, applicants can apply via the department’s mobile app, on its website, at a manual counter or by post.
Chan said the department was looking into introducing self-service passport collection kiosks, and the feasibility of using identity card pictures on new passports.
The department last year issued 701,467 passports. It has issued 7.8 million since the current version was launched in 2007.
The passport’s new security features include ultraviolet designs and a biodata page depicting the national flag above the city’s bauhinia emblem, on top of the 20 features in the current biometric passport.
A total of 165 countries and territories have granted visa-free access or visa on arrival to Hong Kong passport holders.
